Mumbai: PwC India’s latest Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2026-2030 projects that India’s entertainment and media (E&M) market will grow from USD 25.7 billion in 2025 to USD 36.7 billion by 2030, registering a 7.4% CAGR, nearly twice the global industry growth rate of 4%.
The report indicates that India’s E&M industry is moving from a scale-led phase focused on audience acquisition towards a value-driven phase centred on monetising engagement, improving revenue generation and building sustainable user economics.
Digital ecosystems, regional-language content and technology-led revenue streams are expected to play a key role in this transition. Internet advertising, OTT video and gaming are projected to account for a significant share of incremental growth, while traditional television and print are expected to remain resilient despite declines across several mature global markets.
Rajesh Sethi, Partner and Leader – Media, Entertainment, and Sports, PwC India, said, “India has already demonstrated its ability to build audience scale. The next phase is about converting that engagement into sustainable value. AI is beginning to improve how content is created, discovered, and personalised, while regional storytelling and premium experiences are creating new ways to deepen engagement and monetisation. Companies that combine innovation with relevance, operational discipline, and trust will be best placed to lead the next phase of growth.”
Key growth drivers
Internet advertising: Internet advertising revenue is expected to nearly double from USD 7.5 billion in 2025 to USD 14.3 billion by 2030, representing a 13.9% CAGR, with search and video advertising supporting the expansion.
OTT video: India’s OTT market is projected to rise from USD 2.2 billion to USD 3.6 billion between 2025 and 2030, growing at a 10.2% CAGR. Advertising-supported models are emerging as an important monetisation lever alongside subscriptions, with platforms focusing increasingly on engagement, retention, revenue per user, premium content and regional programming.
Gaming and e-sports: Revenue from video games and e-sports is expected to increase from USD 1.5 billion in 2025 to USD 2.6 billion by 2030, at an 11.3% CAGR. In-game advertising, sponsorship-led e-sports and recurring revenue models are expected to gain importance as the market matures.
AI-led transformation: AI is increasingly being integrated across content creation, production, discovery, advertising and audience engagement. Applications include pre-visualisation, de-ageing, multilingual voice modelling, virtual production, generative engine optimisation, personalisation and recommendation systems. These applications are expected to improve both operational efficiency and monetisation opportunities.
Connectivity: Data connectivity revenue is projected to grow from USD 36.5 billion in 2025 to USD 58.6 billion by 2030, representing a 9.9% CAGR. Expanding mobile, broadband, fibre and 5G infrastructure is expected to support richer content experiences and expand digital audiences.
Premium experiences: Music, sports and cinema are seeing opportunities around immersive and differentiated experiences. Premium ticketing, hospitality and higher-value cinema formats are creating new revenue pools by increasing consumer spend.
Traditional media: Traditional TV revenue is projected to increase modestly from USD 7.2 billion in 2025 to USD 7.5 billion by 2030, while newspaper revenue is expected to rise from USD 3 billion to USD 3.5 billion. The resilience reflects regional audiences, advertiser demand, trusted brands and increasing integration between traditional and digital channels.
The report highlights that as infrastructure, connectivity, platforms, advertising and AI converge, India’s E&M sector will increasingly need to focus on monetising engagement rather than reach alone.
“India’s E&M sector is entering a period of meaningful transformation. The opportunity ahead will extend beyond expanding audiences and platforms to building stronger connections between content, technology, and consumer experiences. As these ecosystems become more integrated, organisations will need to rethink how they create value, collaborate across the industry, and build trust in an increasingly AI-enabled environment. The leaders of the next phase will be those that can turn this convergence into distinctive, sustainable, and responsible growth”, Sethi added.
